This invention relates to a cassette loader which achieves increased tape loading efficiency by performing certain steps to different cassettes simultaneously. High speed automatic cassette loaders are known. Representative Patents disclosing such loaders are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,061,286 (King, Sr. et al), 3,997,123 (King), 3,814,343 (Bennett) and 4,332,355 (Zophy). As used in this application the term "cassette" refers to an industry standard audio cassette such as are shown in the drawings. See, e.g., FIGS. 5B and 5C. Such cassettes are formed of a pair of shell halves which are secured together by glue, screws, sonic welding or other means to form the body of the cassette. A pair of hubs are positioned within the shell halves 12, 13 and are designed to freely rotate. A length of leader tape, about 70 cm, is attached by its opposite ends to the hubs. Thus, as used in the cassette loader the cassette is already loaded with the leader tape. Cassette has a pair of capstan holes and a pair of reference holes on both sides, i.e., in both shell halves. The bottom of the cassette is open to permit access by record and playback heads, drive capstans, etc.
In the audio industry these cassettes are referred to as "C-0" cassettes since in this form the cassette has "zero" minutes of recorded material. The purpose of the cassette loader is to load a predetermined length of magnetic tape into the cassette after the cassette shell has been assembled with the hubs and leader tape inside the cassette shell.
One important step involved in properly loading a cassette is to properly extract the already-loaded leader tape from the cassette so that the magnetic tape with the prerecorded material can be properly spiced onto the leader. Prior art devices do this with vacuum. Furthermore, prior art cassette loaders perform the leader tape extracting step sequentially with the other steps in the loading process. The invention of this application permits leader tape extraction at one position to a first cassette while loading of another cassette with magnetic tape is taking place. This achieves significant savings in time and efficiency.